Trump blasts John Kerry's efforts to save the Iran deal, hours before he announces its fate

John Kerry, the former secretary of state. Associated Press/Frank Augstein

President Donald Trump on Tuesday blasted former Secretary of State John Kerry for his continued work on the Iran deal.

Trump said the former diplomat was "hurting" the US.

Kerry has taken the unusual step of meeting with foreign diplomats to shore up the deal behind the scenes after exiting office last year, The Boston Globe reported last week.

Trump is set to announce the fate of the deal at 2 p.m. ET.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday blasted former Secretary of State John Kerry for his efforts to save the Iran deal, accusing him of "hurting" the US.

Trump is set to announce the fate of the deal at 2 p.m. ET.

"John Kerry can't get over the fact that he had his chance and blew it! Stay away from negotiations John, you are hurting your country!" Trump tweeted on Tuesday morning.

The Boston Globe reported last week that Kerry, who left office last year, had been meeting with world leaders in an effort to save the Iran nuclear deal ahead of its May 12 renewal deadline.

Kerry reportedly met with European leaders and Iran's foreign minister, Javad Zarif, in an attempt to shore up the deal as Trump publicly denounces it and is said to be close to scrapping it.

Michael O'Hanlon, a foreign-policy expert at the Brookings Institution, told The Globe, "It is unusual for a former secretary of state to engage in foreign policy like this, as an actual diplomat and quasi-negotiator.

"Of course, former secretaries of state often remain quite engaged with foreign leaders, as they should, but it's rarely so issue-specific, especially when they have just left office."